Dream homes are like snowflakes ….

No two are exactly alike. Some people prefer old-world elegance; others value the clean, bold minimalism of a contemporary design. Some are gourmet chefs . . . or media junkies . . . or want the place they live to be a meditative retreat from their 9-to-5 existence. The point is, it’s your dream, not anyone else’s. So if the time has come to create your perfect dwelling – your “forever” house – we have some suggestions you might find helpful.

Love the location

The perfect lot that’s a two-hour commute from work may not seem so perfect if you only see it in the dark. The very best school district may not matter so much when the kids flee the nest. Before you build your dream home settle on your dream homesite … and be mindful of the external forces that might change it into something different.

Interview multiple architects and custom builders

… and keep looking until you find someone who speaks your language; who shares your temperament, and who has built the kind of home you’re looking for. Ask to see their work and talk to their former clients. Ask what happened when things didn’t conform perfectly to plan. The quality of the building -and the builder – will show.

Hammer your budget

During the course of construction there will be hundreds of decisions to make; almost all of them will have financial consequences. Know which ones are paramount in your mind and which ones aren’t worth breaking the bank over.

Do your homework

You might want to keep a scrapbook or a “swipe file” of ideas you like. Good builders will help you turn a folder full of glossy magazine photos and online articles into a home you want to knock around in for the next decade or so. The more you know about what you really like the more likely you’ll be to have it when you move in.

Consider Sendero

We’ve built dream homes for happy customers in the Austin area for 20 years: in Tuscan and contemporary styles; with footprints from 3,000 to 18,000 square feet; sometimes on lots that could only politely be described as “difficult.” We think we’re good at it. And dozens of our customers who have asked us to build a second or a third home for them seem to think so too.
So have a look at our new home portfolio.
Skim our kitchen or bathroom or outdoor living ideas in the renovations section.
Peruse our process page to see how we approach custom building.
And if you like what you see contact us and we’ll see if we can bring your dream house to life.